Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – On Thursday, March 13, 2025, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan cemented a historic border agreement, a transformative step toward stability in Central Asia after three decades of tension over land and water resources. The signing, held in Bishkek, followed a formal ceremony welcoming Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, who arrived for high-level talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.
The agreement, resolving disputes that last flared violently in autumn 2022, marks a new era for the two former Soviet republics and allies of Russia.
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“From now and forever, the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will be the border of eternal friendship,” Japarov affirmed in a joint statement with Rahmon.
The accord, signed after inter-delegation negotiations, delineates their approximately 1,000-kilometer shared frontier—dotted with Soviet-era enclaves—and includes a territorial exchange. Kyrgyzstan will gain about 25 square kilometers (nearly 10 square miles) from Tajikistan, in return for equivalent land or enhanced access to shared water resources, Kyrgyz authorities confirmed. Roads along the border are designated neutral, and both sides pledged unimpeded use of agricultural and energy facilities in the region.
The ceremony underscored practical outcomes: direct air links, halted since May 2021, resumed with a Dushanbe-Bishkek flight by Tajikistan’s Somon Air landing at Manas International Airport, as announced by Kyrgyzstan Airports Inc. spokesperson Alena Khomenko on social media. “I hope that soon bus services will also start, and our people will be able to meet each other,” Japarov added, signaling plans for further connectivity. The border, closed for nearly four years, will also reopen, alongside restored road and rail links.
Rahmon hailed the “historic” deal, finalized 33 years after the Soviet Union’s collapse, as a triumph of diplomacy. The leaders signed 16 documents, including a joint declaration on strengthening friendship and neighborly ties, with energy cooperation at the forefront.
They committed to boosting mutual trade to $500 million and accelerating the CASA-1000 project, a Central Asia-South Asia electricity trade initiative that will integrate their energy systems and open export opportunities. Industrial collaboration, particularly joint ventures for processing agricultural products aimed at Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) markets, was also prioritized. Japarov further pledged support for preserving Tajik native languages in Kyrgyzstan and backing civil society organizations.
The agreement’s roots trace to a February 21, 2025, protocol by security chiefs Kamchybek Tashiev and Saimumin Yatimov, which resolved contentious areas like the Tajik enclave of Vorukh and the Kyrgyz village of Dostuk, now ceded to Tajikistan. Japarov’s cabinet underscored its broader impact: “This accord will strengthen security, stability, and sustainable development in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and all of Central Asia.”
Global reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. The United States, United Nations, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)—including China, Russia, and most Central Asian states—praised the deal. China, a key regional player via its New Silk Roads infrastructure initiative, sees it as enhancing trade routes to Europe. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry also congratulated the nations, stating, “We hope this agreement, born from close dialogue at the highest level, will contribute to peace, stability, and cooperation in the region.”
This milestone aligns with a wave of border resolutions among Central Asia’s five ex-Soviet states—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—bolstering a region rich in resources and strategically positioned. Awaiting parliamentary ratification, widely expected to pass smoothly, the deal eliminates a major source of instability, promising to end local disputes and accelerate economic and social progress in border areas. For Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, it transforms a once-volatile frontier into a bridge for enduring peace and prosperity.
SOURCE: GAZETA UZ/AFP | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | BY Derya SOYSAL
